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RE: Willow Creek's Huge Shift - 8/18/2008 12:43:00 PM
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cih92
Posts: 127
Joined: 4/18/2005
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I think that there should be a sermon series at WC where the pastor preaches through an entire book of the Bible. This will help the people see different biblical passages in their context.
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RE: Willow Creek's Huge Shift - 8/18/2008 1:07:27 PM
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selahgirl
Posts: 1237
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
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yes, I've seen that video, and it smells so much like the men that led the church I mentioned above. The same air of damage control, smugness, over-confidence, "false face covering what the false heart doth know."
The root of the problem is not the lack of depth in the teaching in such churches, though the lack of the teaching of the Word is a horrendous issue. And the dumbing down of the congregation empowers the leadership to control them easier -- which leads to the root of the problem...
they have set themselves up as gods.
Without even realizing it in some cases. They view the church as a successful business, but it's not a business, it's a family of believers. Such methods of leadership have resulted in dividing the people of God into leaders and non-leaders and given privilege and "get-out-of-jail-free" cards to an exclusive few. Leaders can do no wrong, they can violate Scripture and abuse and manipulate people and it is all excused because they are leaders, accountable to no one but a handful of comrades eaten up with their same sin. All the while they wear the same masks of humility and soft-spoken conduct that the most subtle of serpents has worn since the beginning. Such a polished and slick-finished appearance. They are attractive and convincing and beautiful... on the outside.
The problem is the Big Brother mindset (from the book 1984)... it's a leadership out of control and a people who have given up their God-given rights for a million reasons and have become slaves and pawns. Kingdoms wearing a Christian label, but bringing no glory to the God they claim to serve and the people they are supposed to shepherd. Butchers rule and reign rather than shepherds. Flocks are fattened and driven to their death, rather than led into the image of Christ. And as long as they are unaware of their weapons, as long as they don't know the Word of God, they have no way of recognizing false teaching and ungodly character among their leadership. They serve them willingly and worship them passionately, because they know no other Truth.
The key to such empowerment is to keep the people blissfully uneducated and out of the loop.
It is a small model of the corruption of our nation as a whole. The enemy's schemes are predictable. Convincing people to hand over their birth-right... their freedoms... entrusting their very soul and that of their children to wolves hiding behind fluffy white masks.
The church and our nation need to both go back to the core of tradition and strip away all the trappings used to dress up the agendas of greedy men. That's what is happening in the church I believe. I believe a great stripping away is the consequence of much sin and carelessness concerning the blessings of God. Strip away the whitewash and the yuck, and the heart of it all is revealed... there must be a scrubbing of deep wounds and a cleansing... it is painful... but it brings healing and it restores life.
Stuff is on the horizon concerning our nation and the world... difficult stuff laid out in Scripture. I think the church has learned alot thru all of this... and I think God will use it to strengthen her to face what's ahead... I think it will make us wiser and more unified, more focused, and more discerning.
Jesus first... we lost site of that for a while.
I also think that as the Word is taught in such churches, there will be even greater issues to deal with. As people begin returning to the Word of God and to Truth, the crumbling of the kingdoms of men will only increase. The Church is about to enter into a Renaissance of sorts... but first they have to get fed up with the darkness enough to start cutting off their own hands and feet, plucking out their own eyes... whatever it takes to put God back on the throne of their heart.
Currently there is a void of good leadership, a vacuum. I believe that God is about to call forth Gideons. Those that have run from leadership, leaning a little toward cowardice because of their lack of confidence in themselves, they doubt themselves but never God... God is about to pour out an anointing of courage upon such people. They are the ones that will be called forth, confronted in their hiding places, their comfort zones, their resting places... and in fear and trembling, God will train them to lead and to war. It will be in ways that seem impossible, miraculous, so that no one will doubt that every victory was given solely by God thru an obedient people... a pure and devoted people.
_____________________________
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RE: Willow Creek's Huge Shift - 8/18/2008 10:43:29 PM
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colliefan
Posts: 2789
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: Raleigh, NC
Status: offline
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I used a study that was posted on this website in my womens prison ministry tonight. The following is two paragraphs from that study:
quote:
An ancient tale from India describes a young man who was seeking God. He went to a wise old sage for help. "How can I find God?" he asked the old man. The old man took him to a nearby river where they waded into the deep water. Soon the water was up just under their chins. Suddenly the old man grabbed the young man by the neck and pushed him under the water, holding him down until he was flailing the water in desperation.
Finally, the old man released him. The young seeker was coughing and gasping for air. Reaching the bank, he was furious! "What did that have to do with my finding God?" The old man asked him quietly, "While you were under the water what did you want more than anything else?" The young man thought for a moment and then answered, "I wanted air. I wanted air more than anything else!" The old man replied, "When you want God as much as you wanted air, you will find him." To pursue God means to long for Him with every fiber of our being. God promises to meet us in worship when we come seeking Him.
I told them they needed to seek healing and wholeness more than they desire to be released. The fast majority that come to our studies have made a "prefession of faith" at some point in their lives, they were never discipled.
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